Weston Wants To Age Well

A proposal to form an improvement, maintenance and beautification advisory committee is scheduled to be discussed by the City Commission on Tuesday.

Commissioner Alexander "Sandy" Halperin, who came up with the idea, said some of Weston's publicly owned areas are showing signs of aging.

"This committee is probably one of the most important committees that would be formed," Halperin said.

A discussion about the committee was to take place Jan. 7, but was postponed because Commissioner Robin Bartleman was absent.

Until now, the city's primary developer, Arvida/JMB Partners, has served as property manager for the city's publicly owned areas. With the development of Weston winding down and the company pulling out, that function will be turned over to the city in October, Halperin said.

"So many of us moved here for the beauty and aesthetics of Weston," he said. "A committee like this could be the eyes needed to inform the city of areas that are in need of maintenance and beautification."

The committee, if formed, would be responsible for making recommendations to the commission about improvements to publicly owned areas such as sidewalks, medians, parks, bike paths and streets, Halperin said.

Many cities around the country have similar committees, he said.

"In driving around, I see the need for beautification and maintenance," Halperin said. "We have to look carefully at the future. Weston has gone through its building phase. Right now, we are in a maintenance and beautification phase."

The city recently formed a Planning and Zoning Board and is in the process of selecting members for an Arts and Culture Board, Halperin said.

He said he thinks many Weston residents would be highly qualified to serve on a beautification committee.

"In every private community, there is a board," Halperin said. "Most have committees that ensure the community is being maintained. Perhaps some of those people might be interested in serving the city at large."

A beautification committee would not be a negative reflection of anything that Arvida or the city has done or not done, Halperin said.

"But now, it's important for us to do everything we can to maintain the beauty," he said. "A committee like this can be of benefit."

George Gardner, a resident who surveyed public sidewalks in the Arvida-developed section of Weston last year, said he thinks such a committee would be an excellent idea.

"It may be that you need a group of citizens to look around and see what needs to be done," he said.

Gardner's survey led to a decision by the commission to allocate $200,000 for sidewalk repairs.

He did the survey by himself, and said the city doesn't have enough employees for such a task.

"Overall, the city is in pretty good shape," Gardner said. "But there are people who look at things differently."